Yard Waste

Yard waste stickers

Open-top rigid reusable containers used for yard waste collection must be clearly marked by affixing multiple yard waste stickers around each side of your container. Place the container at the curb with the sticker facing the street so it can be easily seen by the collector.

Do not place yard waste stickers on blue boxes, cardboard boxes or green bins.

City of Hamilton yard waste stickers are free of charge and can be picked up at the following locations:

• Municipal Service Centres
• Community Recycling Centres - Stickers are available at the container distribution cage from Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm.
• Sackville Hill Seniors Recreation Centre  
• Stoney Creek Recreation Centre
• Westmount Recreation Centre

If you see a bright orange “oops! Sticker” on your yard waste bag or can after the collection truck has come by, it means there are items in your yard waste that don’t belong.

You will get an Oops! sticker if you put these things with your yard waste:

• Artificial trees and plants

• Dirt

• Rocks

• Sod

• Tree stumps

• Wood (lumber)

• Cut your grass often. During the spring and early summer you should cut your grass every four to five days. When growth is slower in the late summer and fall you can cut your grass about once per week.

• Don't cut grass more than one third of its height. No more than 2.5 cm (or one in) should be cut at any one time. If the grass is long, cut off a little bit and then lower the blade and cut off a little bit more rather cutting it all off at once.

• Make sure your lawnmower blade is sharp.

• Keep the blade height of your mower at about 6 to 7.5 cm (or 2 ½ to 3 in).

• Grasscycling works best when the grass is dry. Cutting wet grass or taking too much off at one time can cause grass clumping. If you get a bit of clumping, try mowing the area again from a different direction to break up the clumps.

• Leaves take longer to break down than grass clippings. You can rake and collect your leaves and put them in a paper yard waste bag for collection. Leaves can also be used as mulch in other parts of your garden. 

• Grass clippings are  great for your backyard composter. Don't add too many at once because they can become smelly. Allow them to dry in the sun and then add them into your composter in thin layers.

Natural Christmas trees are collected curbside the first and second week of January on your regular collection day.

• Place trees curbside by 7 am only on your collection day. Trees should be clear of snow and ice and easily accessible for collection.
• DO NOT place trees on top of or behind snow banks.
• Remove all decorations (bulbs, lights, tinsel), stands and bags prior to collection.
• Trees longer than 2.1 m (6.9 ft) should be cut in half.
• Maximum of 5 trees will be collected
• Real wreaths will be collected with natural Christmas trees. Remove all decorations before placing at the curb.

If you have a Christmas tree for disposal after the second week of January, you can bring your tree to a Community Recycling Centre for free.

When we separate grass and leaf and yard waste from organic waste (food scraps, soiled paper products), we help stay within the processing capacity of the CCF and help reduce the potential of creating ammonia, therefore maintaining good air quality at the CCF.

Grass and leaf and yard waste can be made into compost more naturally and for less money at Hamilton’s separate outdoor composting facility located at the Glanbrook Landfill.

No. Multiple trucks collect each material and take them to separate locations. The contents in the green bin will be taken to the CCF and blue box material is taken to the Material Recycling Facility (MRF). Grass and other yard waste, when sorted correctly in a separate brown paper bag or open top rigid reusable container, is taken to the City’s outdoor composting facility at Glanbrook Landfill. Green bins are for food scraps and soiled paper products and this is how our collectors can easily identify what goes where when they are out collecting your waste.

• Grass and leaf and yard waste should go in a brown paper bag or in an open top rigid reusable container marked with a City of Hamilton yard waste sticker.
• Drill holes into the sides and bottom of your rigid open-top reusable containers to allow drainage and air circulation. Remove lid before placing out for collection.
• Your recycling and waste calendar included a yard waste sticker in the envelope. You can also pick up a free leaf and yard waste sticker at any Hamilton Recreation Centre or Municipal Service Centre.
• Another option is to try grasscycling by leaving your grass clippings on your lawn. Grass clippings provide food for worms, which will naturally aerate your soil. They add nutrients back into the soil to help make your lawn healthy and green.